Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-31
JAMEs}s. HoGG.
.,be Attorney .GeneraI of Texas has
u a 70 Saw Against the Pending Prohi.
bition \ mendnent.
,r,enres Eaken from the Records
vac" sn,tin tn Rel gard to the Revenue
~ 0ulestion.

~,.o following speech was delivered by
.t.-nev General Etogg at the anti pro-
1 -, rally in Fol TT Worth on July &c:
''''' Is IT 4 PRACTICAL?
~ tho hest auth GRITTY we are advised
- .,,o-v people }of historical account
.-.' bsd their favorite beverages of
~, - drink. either fermented or distil-
So s5rd that the Rdes of prohibiting the
gu ~ or the t-sff l. in Intoxicating liquor
rs old as the be1erage itself.
- Deriod of more than q thousand
an before and flor centuries after the
70 t..5 Il Christ ior vending and drink
=. were perpJeXlng questions that
listed the 3attention of phil
: .-.|5ers, sag9s and politicians
.a degree unTiytslled in ardor and zest
-t.ns In the history of the world, save
=. eycent al th$ present time in Texas.
- rom nm then until now the liquor cues
-, has never fall ed of agitation. 1t has
- and will f0rlev subsist SO long Is
-.,-f;,;zgtion lasts and Intoxicating bever-
~. are used. In its course from its in
a,ss-.;on this veXied question has alter
-...s;v found It's battle-ground upon the
I'd field Of MORAL suasion and il the
~ marshes of political coercion. In
49, former il has ever triumphed and
ss-.rrjshed In the latter 1t has always
sT5ken and failed.
rom religlOub convictions, moral i'm
,rlses, emoiionf Of self-respect Or con-
.3srations Of 4ocial pride, men IN the
-.st hsye Sustained until this country
res called 8 "sfober nation"
Ggcn results }laye never been wrought
,r sny rules bf legal obligation. Fer
sTsn ID monarch ies and Kingdoms, under
avs where Imprisonment and contisca-
.7D. snd event where the death penalty
Tss prescribed for drunkenness or tue
manufacture Of Intoxicating liquors, men
3s5suched 10 the extent of branding
.54,rs IS 9 "cohntry of drunkards" and
forced their rulers out of consideration
dn15lic policy to abolish such laws.
From the days of antiquity up to CEN
.arv ago, all along the line of each sue
,aa3ing decade and even in some of the
-s,ions of Europe and Asia, through
,-ej- varied transmutstlOns and changes
Of government, prohibition, in one form
Or another, was 3 familiar topic. AS civ
nation advanced it weakened as q polit-
cs. Issue, but strengthened as s mora.
one The prohibition Of the manufacture
or sale, or use Of Intoxicating liquors
absolutely failed, but the restriction
oft oy high license, government per-
-..s snd excise taxes coupled with the
religious snd moral crusades against its
4 excessive use, have been successful in
aarIowing its scope, In checking its in
alenCe, and In ameliorating its effect
uaon the human race. And to-day the
advocates Of prohibItory laws in those
countries receive but little consideration,
i1ssmuch Is tie experience of the past
ass enlightened those people upon this
question, too dead for resurrection.
With the decline and failure Of nrobi-
5tiol in Europe, the movement found G
new and Jealous people upon American
SOL, ready to grasp 1t and to push it to
lie fullest extent. Over 200 years $50
Virginia tried 1t while colony of Great
3.i.iin, sud Massachusetts and fConnec5
tiCu. passed laws for it. Thus the re-
s:1aiat was there coercive and not per-
sgss.re, and signsily failed. Local tenn
II peTanCe societies formed and did much
good IN social way in their grand work.
These organizations continued with evil
dent good effect, end year By
!tar strengthened until the move.
n6at became national, when 1t
s-sln began 10 sgitste the question in q
political way, From 1926 TO about 1874,
ne "No-License" and local option qnes-
ions were discussed and acted upSn by
several OF the states, under the manage
4 Ment Of the temperance societies. 1t was
men contended and upheld that she law
Wllcn licensed the sale OF ardent spirits
IVES sn impeachment to temperance re-
Term. Inls idea prevailed in Several 81
.le States and they repealed the license
avs, and prosecuted the dram shops as
gc2-c nujsances, sut they failed to do
/ more thau partially close up the places OF
112..c sale, for liquor found It's way
win ease 10 the mouth of every thirsty
-an WAo wanted drink, aud soon be-
,a.4e nulsances in far worse
.osas Failing in these methods
i u. encouraged by their success with and
-1Llence upon the law making power.
4 lie temperance people next begun the
--g'enent OF state prohibition by statute
BY millions OF esrnest, enthusiastic I'D
h -eIel,s IS members of local clubs, scat
I-vq throughout every nook and corner
Il u ne CllOG, advised, managed and led
!! one Oh the strongest national organiZa.
s-lh' mat ever existed, the war WAS re
,.s .-,, waged, and it appeared as il
- !.4u0T traffic and incompetence would
- SgoASned forever. Indeed, tidal
e1't mad reached the United States, and
!. soon swept over the country like g
II .!Uena, carrying in its wake the wrecks
WIS. "1.SEy taTerns and grog shops by the
---4leo. Grand were the rallies, soul
--llS were the songs, sublime were the
~sSeC1es, and greater still were the
r.a-oleS, professions and display O.
.-5Ahers, bunting and banners. The
S-t'suous TO Join such hosts of enthusi.
- itloTmers were simply overwhelm
- heD, women and children went il
s.,,,-e- Tor what they believed TO be the
9,'a ol Their country, and marched along
lie grand war on the greg shops
,-a'-e LED out in 1915 and was speedily
.,." by Delaware, Mime
80, Rhode Island, Massachu
80 Vermont, Michigan, Connecticut
y11s, Iowa, Nebraska, New York
~ hampshire and Ilinois-fourteen il
IND md escl in turn by 1855 passed pro-
DRY laws on the liquor traffic. Wha
~ NE effect? A loss OF revenue, s
~-.-.. OF the laws, deterioration OF The
-? and increase in the quantity O
/ 1.O-, promiscuous diffusion of intern
,,ALSe, and 3 general disgust of the PEG
4 IL, IL 300 in all these states except New
s,--1--2SAl7e and Vermont, these laws wer.
v,-e! repealed or declared unconstitu-
al -A. Since then but tRo or three @
80 -i aaye ever tried prohibition. Main,
4 s-OlE, has pride in her example, lnC
! ;. Isl 1or thirty-nine times her laws OF
- subject have been either amended O
;ss:aled, she, with "bIind obstinacy, ;
up herwar. She HIS signally failet
i. sOoer up her people or to multipl,